Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Vote early, vote often and get your freebies while they last

Voting is a reward unto itself. Since many people around the world can’t vote, or are forced to vote in meaningless elections, it’s something we should never take for granted.

That said, some people in the health realm apparently do want to reward those casting ballots Tuesday with a little something extra. From the bottom of their hearts. Really.

Let’s start with O!burger. O!burger bills itself as "the first organic fast-food burger joint in Los Angeles," (even though it’s in West Hollywood) and is offering free 100% organic fries or fresh organic cookies with any burger order to everyone who votes, no matter who’s elected. That’s right — you could secretly back the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and still get the healthy stuff free, between 11:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on election day, providing you have that little sticker.

But that’s not all! What could be better than free food? How about discounted injectibles? Yes, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon is offering 50% off Botox and $100 off Juvederm treatments through Nov. 15 to those who show an "I Voted" sticker. Is this a great country or what?

Dr. Payman Simoni, the doctor who’s offering the deal, says this is his way of saying thanks "to people who take this seriously."

Simoni, who became a U.S. citizen in 1997, says that in his native Iran, "We didn’t have the freedom that a person really needs," and adds that he’s always appreciated his right to vote.

This being Los Angeles, we told Simoni that he might have people lined up around the block waiting for those marked-down procedures. Maybe he should have considered free doughnuts instead.

"This is too precious to do it with doughnuts," he says.

Krispy Kreme doesn’t think so. It's offering a free star-shaped doughnut with patriotic sprinkles (i.e. red, white and blue) on Tuesday to customers with a sticker (at participating locations). Not that Krispy Kremes are the healthiest things around, but hey, they are cooked in "zero grams trans fat shortening," according to the company’s website. Not so sure about those sprinkles, though.